Former Oracle Worker Awarded $2.7 Million

A San Francisco jury has awarded $2.7 million to a former Oracle Corp. employee who was fired because she was pregnant and because she blew the whistle on co-workers who she believed had inappropriately used elements of a competitor’s software. The Superior Court jury Wednesday awarded Sandy Baratta about $2 million in canceled stock options, $300,000 in lost wages and $200,000 for emotional distress. The jury did not award punitive damages. Redwood City, Calif.-based Oracle argued that Baratta was fired because she mistreated her staff. It plans to challenge the verdict.